Father Joshua Nash, OMI, Ordained in Australia

In 2016, Bro. Joshua Nash, OMI, made his First Vows as a Missionary Oblate after completing his novitiate year at the Oblate Novitiate in Godfrey, Illinois. In July, Fr. Joshua Nash, OMI, was ordained a priest in his native Australia.

“At the novitiate I was the only novice from Australia,” said Fr. Nash. “I was truly blessed to have my fellow Oblate brothers to live with and discern my calling during that very special year.”

Father Joshua was born and raised in Adelaide, Australia. He and his family attended the Oblates’ St. David Parish throughout his childhood. After high school he studied law and international studies while also working as a youth ministry coordinator for the diocese. He spent time with the United Nations in South Africa working with refugees.

As an Oblate seminarian, one of Fr. Joshua’s most memorable experiences was spending three months in Lourdes, France, helping young people to engage more with their faith.

Father Joshua was ordained at St. David’s Parish and his first assignment is as the assistant pastor at his childhood church. He said the appointment will enable him to learn and grow in the sacraments and to develop his pastoral and parochial ministry as a priest.

“I hope later that I may be able to move into more missionary work, perhaps development  of new ministries that don’t exist yet in the Church, enabling the Church to reach out to those who are most excluded and abandoned by both the Church and our society,” said Fr. Nash in a recent interview with The Southern Cross.